The Irish surnames in use today are underpinned by a multitude of rich histories. The name Dunigan originally appeared in Gaelic as O Donnagain. The first portion of the name is probably derived from "donn," which means brown, while the second portion of the name is probably derived from and ancient Irish personal name.

Dunigan Early Origins

The surname Dunigan was first found in County Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) the ancient Kingdom of Deis Muin (Desmond), located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat at Muskerry, later moving to Limerick, Kildare and Dublin.

Dunigan Spelling Variations

Dunigan Spelling Variations

Scribes and church officials, lacking today's standardized spelling rules, recorded names by how they were pronounced. This imprecise guide often led to the misleading result of one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Dunigan are preserved in documents of the family history. The various spellings of the name that were found include Donegan, Donnegan, Doneghan, Donneghan, Donagan, Donnagan, Donnaghan, Dunnegan, O'Donegan, O'Dunnegan, O'Donnaghan, Dongan, Donegin, Donnegin, Donnagen, Donagen, Donnegen, Donegen, Donnigan, Donigan, Dunnican, Dunican, Dunnigan, McDunnigan, McDonegan, Dongane, Dongin, Dongen and many more.

Dunigan Early History

Dunigan Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dunigan research. Another 227 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1300, 1395, 1412, 1413, 1634 and 1715 are included under the topic Early Dunigan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dunigan Early Notables (pre 1700)

Dunigan Early Notables (pre 1700)

Notable among the family name at this time was John Donegan (died 1413), a medieval Manx prelate. After holding the position of Archdeacon of Down, he held three successive bishoprics, Mann and the Isles (Sodor), then...

Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dunigan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

In the 18th and 19th centuries, thousands of Irish families fled an Ireland that was forcibly held through by England through its imperialistic policies. A large portion of these families crossed the Atlantic to the shores of North Ameri ca. The fate of these families depended on when they immigrated and the political allegiances they showed after they arrived. Settlers that arrived before the American War of Independence may have moved north to Canada at the war's conclusion as United Empire Loyalists. Such Loyalists were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Those that fought for the revolution occasionally gained the land that the fleeing Loyalist vacated. After this period, free land and an agrarian lifestyle were not so easy to come by in the East. So when seemingly innumerable Irish immigrants arrived during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s, free land for all was out of the question. These settlers were instead put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Whenever they came, Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Dunigan or a variant listed above, including:

Dunigan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert Dunigan, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1873

Dunigan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Margaret Dunigan, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1845

Contemporary Notables of the name Dunigan (post 1700)

Contemporary Notables of the name Dunigan (post 1700)

Ricky Dunigan (1973-2013), American rapper from Memphis, better known by his stage name Lord Infamous

Timothy "Tim" Dunigan (b. 1955), American actor, best known for his starring role as Captain Jonathan Power in Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future

Matt Dunigan (b. 1960), American former quarterback, coach, and executive in the Canadian Football League, inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, and was voted one of the CFL's Top 50 players

Michael René Dunigan (b. 1989), American professional basketball player

Shaw, William A. Knights of England A Complete Record from the Earliest Time to the Present Day of the Knights of all the Orders of Chivalry in England, Scotland, Ireland and Knights Bachelors 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print. (ISBN 080630443X).

The Dunigan Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Dunigan Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.